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Alice’s Swing

??/11/84 ………………………#1

03/01/96 ………………………#2

01/09/04 ………………………#3

18/05/08 ………………………#4

10/06/08 ………………………#5

12/03/10 ………..#6

Alice was in grade 2 in Cambridge Bay NWT. She said she liked to swing and I made this story for her.

ALICE’S SWING

Alice ran really fast and was the first one to get to the swings.

She went:

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa —–>

<—–aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaL

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa —–>

<—–aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaL

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa —–>

<—–aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaL

I am good at this!” said Alice, and she swung higher:

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa —–>

<—–aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaL

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa —–>

<—–aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaL

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa —–>

<—–aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaL

All the kids were amazed at how high she was swinging. They said “Alice! Be Carefull.”

Alice said “It is just like flying!” and she went

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa —–>

<—–aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaL

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa —–>

<—–aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaL

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa —–>

<—–aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaL

Her teacher came over and said, “BE CAREFUL”; but Alice didn’t listen. She was having too much fun and was listening to the wind blowing around her ears:

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH.”

So Alice swung higher and higher and higher and higher; as high as possible.

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa —–>

<—–aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaL

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa —–>

<—–aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaL

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa —–>

<—–aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaL

The teacher yelled, “ALICE, YOU’RE GONNA GET KILLED!” but Alice didn’t listen.

She was having too much fun and was listening to the wind blowing around her ears:

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH.”

She went

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—-> And then the rope broke and Alice flew off into the sky like a bird.

The teacher looked up and could not even see Alice at all.

Uh Oh!” said the teacher “Alice has flown really far and is probably now flat like a pancake! I better call her mother.”

Uh Oh!” said the kids “Alice has flown up in the air and is probably now flat like a pancake.’

But Alice was not a pancake. Not yet anyway. She had swung so high and so fast that she was still flying high in the sky above the town.

A plane was taking off from the airport and the pilot looked out and said, “WOW! I see a kid!”

The pilot leaned out the window and said “Hey kid, what are you doing?”

Alice said “I’m swinging”.

“No” said the Pilot, “You are flying like a bird.”

“Kids can’t fly” said Alice.

“Look down!” said the Pilot.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” said Alice.

The Pilot reached out, grabbed Alice by the hair and pulled her into the plane. Then the plane flew back to town and landed. The airport was close to the town, so Alice walked back to school and went to the playground.

The kids all ran inside and yelled, “ALICE IS BACK”.

“OH NO!” yelled the teacher, who thought Alice had finally fallen from the sky.

“Is she flat like a pancake?”

“NO” yelled the kids.

“Is she all in pieces?”

“NO” yelled the kids.

“Is she crying and screaming?”

“NO” yelled the kids.

Is she in the hospital?”

NO” yelled the kids.

“Well WHAT is she doing?” yelled the teacher.

“Of course”, said the kids, “She is swinging on the swing.”

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa —–>

<—–aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaL

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa —–>

<—–aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaL

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa —–>

<—–aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaL

The teacher ran outside and yelled, “ALICE, YOU’RE GONNA GET KILLED!” but Alice didn’t listen.

Don’t worry!” said Alice “The plane is just taking off and I want to go on a trip”

And then the rope broke and Alice flew off into the sky like a bird.

[Final page has no text. Alice is standing of a tropical beach in her parka, snowpants and mukluks.]

© 1984 – Bob Munsch Enterprises

1984 for Alice Maghagak, an Inuit kid in grade 1 at Cambridge Bay, Victoria Island, NWT. She wanted to fly in a plane and also said she liked to swing.

2002 – Alice was still in Cambridge Bay when I visited.

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